We know that Richy Snyder can navigate his way around a classic cover; the evidence is found by giving his rendition of Strangers in The Night a spin. And if such a song is probably well known to most music fans, and well beyond too, How Deep Is The Ocean is probably less so.
The great thing about How Deep is the Ocean, a cover of an Irving Berlin number, is that it shows that not only can he deliver a song that is sweet and soulful, sentimental and soothing, but he can do it in such a way that you get the feeling that it was written for a modern audience. The original was penned some 90 years ago. If that doesn’t explain the definition of a timeless tune, I don’t know what does.
How Deep Is The Ocean is one of those questioning songs, lyrically reminiscent of songs such as The Waterboys’ How Long Will I Love You, showing that there is very little which is truly new in music, but here stylistically very different. This is the sound of the lounge bar, the jazz pianist, the restrained and soft, slow dance soundtrack, a song of gentle atmospherics and tender romance.
It’s a word that I use a lot, but here, I mean it. Gorgeous! No other word will do.
